There are two things about this movie, A View to a Kill, that got me excited about watching it—Grace Jones is in it, and it’s Roger Moore’s last Bond movie. It’s not that I have anything against Roger Moore as Bond, but I’m excited to see a new James Bond actor after watching seven movies with Moore.
James Bond and Women in A View to a Kill
James Bond slept with four different women in this movie, but, interestingly, this was the least misogynistic of all Bond movies I’ve seen so far. In Bond films, when a female character is beautiful and powerful, she’s often given a derogatory sexual name. But in this movie, there were beautiful powerful women but none had vile sexual names. Maybe this is an indication that the Bond franchise is finally evolving in its attitudes toward women.
Grace Jones as May Day
Grace Jones has a strong presence and she’s the reason I liked the movie. She plays May Day, the villain’s bodyguard and girlfriend. What else is new…she has sex with Bond at some point in the movie, one of the four women he slept with in the film. It wasn’t a situation where he used sex to get information as with many of his conquests.
He found himself in a bind and snuck into her room and they end up in bed. She returns to trying to assassinate him later. At the end of the movie, she becomes an ally to Bond when she realizes her boyfriend wants her dead too.
Lois Maxwell as Moneypenny
It’s amazing that the actress Lois Maxwell has played the MI6 secretary, Moneypenny, since the Bond movie franchise started in 1962. Sean Connery Bond would flirt heavily with Moneypenny. The flirtation continued some with Roger Moore, but the older Lois Maxwell got, the less Bond flirted with her even though she and Roger Moore were the same age.
Lois Maxwell found out that this Bond movie would be her last. Lois suggested to Albert R. Broccoli, the producer, that Moneypenny be promoted to Bond’s boss, but he didn’t think Bond having a female boss would work.
That would have been a progressive move, but instead, they waited another ten years before a female, played by Judi Dench, would become Bond’s boss. And it took a female producer to make that change–Barbara Broccoli took her dad’s place as producer when that happened.
I don’t like that they let Lois Maxwell go because she had aged. Moore aged too. It was clear in this movie that he was older than when he first started. Moore was leaving his role too, but it wasn’t the same. He left on his own accord. Lois was let go because of her age. In Octopussy, Moneypenny had a new young female assistant. That was the hint that Lois Maxwell would soon leave the role.
Did James Bond’s Character Evolve in A View to a Kill?
James Bond hasn’t progressed from being a one-dimensional action figure, but disrespecting women was pretty much non-existent in this movie (unless I’m so used to it that I didn’t notice). So, I’d say the Bond franchise has evolved a bit. I’ll have to wait and see what happens in the next two movies with the new Bond actor, Timothy Dalton, to see if it’s a permanent change.
My Overall Opinion of Roger Moore As James Bond
I’ve watched three James Bond actors so far: Sean Connery, George Lazenby and Roger Moore.
This is how I label them: Sean Connery, Mr. Suave. George Lazenby, Mr. Normal, Roger Moore, The British Gentleman. That sums up their looks and their on-screen personas.
Roger Moore was the oldest Bond. He was 45 when he started and 57 when he filmed this movie. Between him and Sean Connery, Moore stood the test of time. After his third movie, Connery looked slightly tired and lackluster compared to his first three movies. (I mentioned that in my reaction to his fourth film, Thunderball and his fifth film, You Only Live Twice.)
With Moore, although I could see he’d aged a little, he brought the same energy in all of his movies.
Production &Film Info
A View to a Kill started filming in August of 1984 and was released in American theaters in May of 1985. The movies continue to have a fast turnaround time, from filming to release dates.
Prime Video X-Ray Feature Is Back With This Movie
If you don’t know what the Prime Video X-Ray Feature is and how it’s helped me, a non-Bond, fan get through the Bond movies, you can read about it here: The Spy Who Loved Me. At some point, they stopped this valuable resource and I was so bummed. But with this movie, it returned. I don’t think it’s going to be available with all the movies but I’ll take it for now.
If you’d like to know why I, a non-Bond fan, am watching all 25 James Bond movies you can read about it in detail here: Who Is The Next James Bond? A Non-Bond Fan Makes Her Prediction.